Portable coin holder or money container



Patented Dec. 6, 1949 RQRfEwLE COIN HOIIDERSQREMQNEY CONTAINEB I-llfPercy -Victor LShaelrell, Durban, Natal, Z'Unioni of South Africa .Application June 2, 1948, Serial No. 30,550 'Irrthe Union of South Africa December ,15;.19.4f7

'17;Claims. rl This invention relates to portable coin -holders and li-ke money containers'and-has Ifor its object -to provide a simple, inexpensive, land-efiicient iarfticle of lthis nature designed to firmly hold a :number of coins, say, -for example, I16 half- -crowns -or 20 fiorins, -the -coin-s being easily inserted and extracted as and -When required and :at :all times Ion view. Coins -are not inserted in .two'sand three's. l-When'therequirednumber of .coins i (for: example, =l6hal-f crowns 01"'-20-shi1lings) is counted into the'fh-and, instead of l-rolling into paper, it-he coins :are slip-pod linto a container, :where they irema'in'firnilyffixed vand are thereafter :recognised by '-subsequenthandlers as units sof .f2,22,1or'l0/-, as fthe case may-be. verifying .contents .at Vany stage '-is .a matter of seconds only-a uast improvement on :paper-Wrapped coins.

FI'hus,:.a :few of the features |apertaining to the :use vofthe present:coin-holderdevice are that it obviates the usual practice rof fro'lli-ng-up coins in paper .Wrappers, end-of-day countingy can be iprac- .tically -elim'inated 'because cashiers m-ay continue 4filling-the holders fas coins are accumulated :from Various counters or other sources, the repeated counting and checkingzwhich takes place there- :after by 4each person through :whose hands the Icoins pass can also -be eliminated. Moreover, ycoins'may :be banked .in the holders 'and remain Iin holders until again. requiredand even then the :coins may he paid out in 'the Lholders, because '-bankers man have ample Supplies of these inexpensive containers and 'can :hand over to the customer empty. holderslin-lpla-ceof Ethe filled ones handedin.

.A noin holder or.money..container,according to :my invention, Vconsistsiof diametrically opposed substantially arcuate Shaped side component parts, made of 'sheet .metal or .anyother suitable material, which are :held-in spaced relationship 'to provide .l-ateral opening's between the longiltudinal edges :of said components, by spring or other vresilient .means Vconnecting the adjacent end 'portions of said side :component :parts to- Leether; the.arrangemen1; being such that coins f-may be pressed edgewise into .either of the side .fopenings of the holder in order to -be firmly held -between said opposed side components, the positionin'g ojfthe :coins Lcausing-sa'idside components ;to 3 m ove-.-:against :the resistance of 'the Ispring -or (Cl. e20G-0.82")

other resilieni; means-;more forless 'in the -direc- -tion of 'their 'respective 'curvatures l'Entry Iof coins is adapted to *be elTe-cted 'from 'either 'side of 'the :holder vand :When .the ncoins are positioned,

said side components -resume *their :diametrically -opposed coin-'retaining positions *throughithe ac- 'tion 'ofthe spring means.

vIn a :preferred construction, the' respective side components of the device fare curvedin order to conformito the coinsintended tobe .placedLtherebetween and the ends of each component Rare rolled or otherwise Shaped into tubular configuration'to-receive-fandanchorthefree ends of Springs lformedby pieces ofiWire'So'bent-fas to Iperrnit the side-components to yield when -pressed 'by coins *insertedinto-y either side ofthe holder.

Such an arrangement, provides A'for the ready :assembly of the parts-i. -e. lthe two side components and :the tWo lSprings for connecting the ends thereof-as and i-when required, and also lenables the same -to fbe -stored insmall Comp-ass when notiin useandffor-transport.

'In one simple formation of the springs, leach springfconsis-ts vof ia piece of'wire b'ent into zigV-zag configurationfeachileg of fthe 'z'ig-'zag 'shape being :ben't upwardlyand then 'downwardly'in the same plane, and fthe outer Ifree :ends 'of the Wire are curvedto conform'to Iand for-connection Iwith the curve'd ends of the sidecomponents.

lIn the-preferred .formof yconstruction -ofa coinholder, wthe tWo side component parts have vtheir wfad'jacen't vends :secured ftoge'ther :by pairs of v'diametrioallyfdisposed spring-elementswhich in turn have their ends rigidlyfi-xedftoithe corresponding -ends of the co-acting side component parts so vthat their interme'diate 1portions -icross each other :and are not secured toeach other at the point lof intersection.

In order that kthe ;present invention may be more -ic'learly understood and carried into !practice, reference is ln-ovv made to .the .'accompanying anamnes, in whichlike referencenumera1s refer to like parts throughout the several views:

lIn the drawings: Fig. k1 is .an jisometric xvoew of a coin-holder -constructed according 'to the present invention;

Fig. '2 =isa cross-section 'taken on line II-vII of Fig. 1 butshowing Ia. 'coin in "the-holder;

lFig. '3 'is :a kview similar :to TFig. v2 showing the 3 side component parts in their open position when a coin is forced into the holder;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the holder showing the open position of the side component partswhen a coin is inserted from the opposite direction -as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the preferred form of construction of the coin-holder, -constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 1 but showing a coin in the holder; and

Fig. 7 is -an end view of the holder shown in Figs. 5 and 6, showing the relative positions of the side component parts and spring elements when a coin is forced into the holder.

Fig. 8 is an isometric view of a modification of a coin holder constructed according to the present invention, and

Fig. 9 is an isometric view of a spring element used in the form as shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral l denotes the side component parts which are beaded along the curved transverse edges denoted by numeral 2. The spring element 3 consists of a length of spring wire having its end portions bent to arcuate shape, while the intermediate portion thereof is bent zig-zag fashion to substantially W- shape, in order to provide for a relatively long spring element in -a confined space which has sufficient flexibility to permit the opening of the side component parts l to a sufiicient extent to permit the edgewise insertion of the coins (see Figs. 3 and 4). The curved ends of the spring elements are adapted to be rigidly or slidably Secured interiorly of the beaded curved ends 2 of the side component parts i.

In the preferred form of construction of the device, shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the spring elements comprise two spring steel Wire elements 5 and 6, Which are bent to substantially rectangular shape and have the ends located centrally of one of the longtudinal sides. The extreme end portions 'I of the,rectangularly-shaped Wire are bent outwardly at right angles to the said longtudinal side and also to the transverse side 5 or 8, while the other longtudinal side has its central portions 8 bent to substantially crank shape. Said Crank-like portion 8 is located substantially perpendicularly to the said longtudinal side and also to the tranverse side 5 or B. Two of such rectangularly-shaped wire elements are utilised on one holder, the transverse sides 5 or 6 of such elements forming the corresponding Springs on the opposite ends of the holder. The longtudinal sides of said rectangularly-shaped wire element are immovably Secured within the bent-over extreme longtudinal marginal edges 9 of the curved side part IA.

In the modified construction of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, each of the four spring elements ID consists of a Substantially U-shaped length of wire which has its parallel limbs rigidly fixed to the diametrically opposed longtudinal edges of the coacting arcuate Shaped side component parts EA, so that the spring elements at each end of the device cross each other centrally. The extreme ends I l of the parallel limbs of each U-shaped spring element are bent in opposite directions substantially at right angles to the said parallel limbs and the transverse parts connecting such parallel limbs. Each of the curved side component parts IA, constructed from sheet metal, has its longtudinal marginal edges 9 folded over outwardly and bent flat against the curved portion and in the slot thus formed, the said oppositely bent end portions ll of the spring elements IO are securely held.

If desired, the bent-over longtudinal marginal edges of the curved side component parts may be folded over a second time to form a bead along each longtudinal edge in which the parallel limbs of the U-shaped Spring elements are located, while the bent ends of such parallel limbs are firmly retained between the parts forming the first bend. The arrangement of the holder is such that for displacement of the side component parts, when coins are inserted or removed, such movement is adapted to take place against tor- Sional resistance produced in the parallel limbs of the spring element and also against bending resistance of the transverse parallel limb connecting parts thereof. The bending of the said transverse parts is clearly illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

The holders may also be utilised as small desk or counter trays, in which case the coins are merely placed on the holder (not pressed down into it), the end sprngs acting as supports for the coins.

supporting coins in this manner, a holder may be pushed along the desk or counter without displacement of the coins, whilst a slight blow from the fingers will cause the coins to drop into the holder, which may then be safely rolled about or otherwise handled.

To remove the coins from a holder, the side components thereof are simply pinched together by the fingers, whereupon the -coins will drop out from between said components.

It will be obvious that various alterations or modifications may be made without departure from my invention; for instance, said side components may consist of frame-like Structures and may be formed as one With the spring members before referred to.

Further, any other form of spring or other resilient means which permit the requisite functioning of the holder as before described may be devised and employed.

What I claim is:

1. A coin-holder for the purpose set forth consisting of a pair of arcuate-shaped side component parts and spring means forming the only connection between the adjacent end portions of said side component parts so as normally to hold them in diametrically opposed parallel relationship With Spaces between their longtudinal edges, through which Spaces coins are adapted to be forced edgewise into and withdrawn from the holder by causing momentary displacement of the two side component parts against the action of the connecting spring means.

2. A coin-holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring means connecting the two component parts together are in the form of bent Spring wire members.

3. A coin-holder for the purpose set forth consisting of a pair of arcuate Shaped side component parts with spring means forming the only connection between the adjacent end portions of said component parts So as normally to hold them in diametrically opposed parallel relationship with spaces between their longtudinal edges, through which spaces coins are adapted to be forced edgewise into and withdrawn from the holder by causing momentary displacement of the two side component parts against the action of the Spring means, which spring means consist of two spring members each made from a piece of spring wire bent as regards its medial portion into zig-zag configurations in one plane and having the outer free ends thereof curved to conform to and for connection with, the curved ends of the said component parts.

4. A coin-holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the ends of each component part are Shaped to tubular configuration to receive and anchor the curved ends of the wire spring members.

5. A coin-holder for the purpose set forth consisting of a pair of arcuate-shaped side component parts and spring means forming the only connection between the adjacent end portions of said side component parts so as normally to hold them in diametrically opposed parallel relationship with spaces between their longitudinal edges, through Which spaces coins are adapted to be forced edgewise into and withdrawn from the holder by causing momentary displacement of the two side component parts against the action of the connecting spring means, wherein the spring means connecting the two component parts together are in the form of two pairs of spring wire members, each of which members is bent to substantially U-shape and has its parallel limbs rigidly fixed to the diametrically opposed longitudinal edges of the coacting side component parts so that in the normal location of said parts the spring members of each pair on each end of the device, cross one another substantially centrally of said ends.

6. A coin-holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the extreme ends of the parallel limbs of each member are bent in opposite directions at right angles to their respective limbs and to the transverse part connecting the two limbs, and wherein said bent end portions are secured by marginal edges of each side component part bent over to lie flat on the outer surfaces of said parts.

7. A coin-holder for the purpose set forth consisting of a pair of arcuate-shaped side component parts and spring means forming the only connection between the adjacent end portions of said side component parts so as normally to hold them in diametrically opposed parallel relationship With Spaces between their longitudinal edges, through Which spaces coins are adapted to be forced edgewise into and withdrawn from the holder by causing momentary displacement of the two side component parts against the action of the connecting spring means, wherein the spring means comiecting the two component parts together are in the form of two spring wire members each bent to substantially rectangular shape with the meeting ends located in one longitudinal side, the side portions being immovably Secured under marginal edge flaps of the side component parts, and being deformed to secure immovable connection thereto, and Wherein the end portions of the co-acting spring members cross one another sub-J stantially centrally of each end.

PERCY VICTOR SHACKELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,076,400 Wilton Oct. 21, 1913 1,145,743 Bradford July 6, 1915 

